Sweeper with a dirt collection device

Abstract

Sweeping machine with a dirt collecting device (8, 108), with a sweeping roller (7, 107, 207), with a sweeping roller drive for driving the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207), and with guide elements (10, 11, 110, 210) for guiding the sweeping material from the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207) into the dirt collecting device (8, 108, 208), characterized in that the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207) is switchable and that the guide elements (10, 11, 110, 210) are designed in both directions of rotation of the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207) to guide the sweeping material into the dirt collecting device (8, 108, 208).

Description

The invention relates to a sweeping machine having a dirt collecting device, having a sweeping roller, having a sweeping roller drive for driving the sweeping roller, and having guide elements for guiding the sweeping material from the sweeping roller into the dirt collecting device.A self-propelled sweeping machine is known, for example, from WO 2022 / 048879 A1. In this sweeping machine, the dirt collecting device is arranged movably behind the sweeping roller on a chassis, as viewed in the direction of travel, via a holding device. The sweeping roller is driven in the opposite direction to the direction of travel. The sweeping material is conducted over the sweeping roller into the dirt collecting device. This identifies a so-called projection principle. This ensures a high degree of filling of the dirt collection device. In addition, the projection principle is suitable for coarse and light soiling. The sweeping material is, however, guided over a long path over the sweeping roller. As a result, this concept of transfer is only suitable to a limited extent for fine dust and heavy soiling. Furthermore, the rotation of the sweeping roller in the opposite direction to the direction of travel leads to a high energy requirement and wear.From DE 202 11 629 U1 a sweeping machine has become known as an auxiliary device for lawnmowers, in which the drive of a lawnmower motor is used to drive a ventilation wheel and the sweeping roller. The ventilation wheel and a channel guide the sweeping material into a dirt bag of the lawnmower. The coupling of the drive of the sweeping roller to the lawnmower motor determines the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller.DE 10 2014 102 812 A1 discloses a sweeping machine having two sweeping rollers in opposite directions. The sweeping rollers together form a passage gap for the sweeping material. The sweeping material is hereby guided through the passage gap via one of the sweeping rollers into the dirt collecting device. This is intended to achieve a good cleaning result. However, the use of the second sweeping roller results in a great construction outlay. The sweeping material is also guided over the one sweeping roller over the long path, so that this principle is suitable only to a limited extent for fine dust.The invention is based on the problem of further developing a sweeping machine of the type mentioned at the beginning in such a way that it is of particularly simple construction and is suitable for a wide variety of soilings.This problem is solved according to the invention in that the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller is switchable and that the guide elements are designed in both directions of rotation of the sweeping roller for guiding the sweeping material into the dirt collecting device.By means of this configuration, the sweeping machine makes it possible to generate different operating modes by simply switching over the direction of rotation. In one direction of rotation of the sweeping roller, the sweeping material is conducted over a short path into the dirt collecting container and in the other direction of rotation over the long path using the dumping principle. The sweeping machine is thus suitable for use for a wide variety of soilings. The structural complexity of the sweeping machine is kept particularly low, because only a single sweeping roller is necessary for a good cleaning result.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the sweeping machine can be used for particularly versatile soiling if the directions of rotation of the sweeping roller are configured selectively in the opposite direction or in the same direction with respect to the direction of travel of the sweeping machine.According to another advantageous development of the invention, the sweeping roller drive is of particularly simple design if the sweeping roller drive has a switchable changeover gear for switching over the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller.The structural outlay for driving the sweeping roller can be kept particularly low according to another advantageous refinement of the invention if the sweeping roller drive is coupled to drive wheels. This configuration makes it possible to dispense with a separate drive of the sweeping roller. This leads to particularly low production costs, in particular in the case of hand-guided sweeping machines.According to another advantageous development of the invention, the sweeping roller can be controlled in a particularly versatile manner if the sweeping roller drive has a motor and if the motor can be controlled for driving in both rotational directions or is connected to the shiftable change-over transmission. As a result, for example, particularly long sweeping rollers or a plurality of sweeping rollers arranged in-line can be driven. This design enables large working widths, in particular in self-propelled sweeping machines.According to another advantageous development of the invention, the selection of the sweeping roller drive is particularly simple if a control device has a changeover switch for the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller, which changeover switch can be manually switched into two positions. In the simplest case, the changeover switch is a lever on an operating panel of a self-propelled sweeping machine or on a handle of a hand-guided sweeping machine.To increase the field of use of the sweeping machine, it contributes according to another advantageous development of the invention if the control device has a regulator for the speed of the sweeping roller.According to another advantageous development of the invention, the guidance of the sweeping material into the dirt collecting device can be easily adapted to the operating principle of the sweeping machine if a guide element for guiding the sweeping material between the sweeping roller and the dirt collecting device can be controlled depending on the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller.The invention permits numerous embodiments. To further clarify its basic principle, three of these are illustrated in the drawing and are described below. This shows in FIG. 1 shows a self-propelled sweeping machine in a first operating mode, FIG. 2 shows the self-propelled sweeping machine from FIG. 1 in a second operating mode, FIG. 3 shows a hand-held sweeping machine in a first operating mode, FIG. 4 shows the hand-held sweeping machine from FIG. 3 in a second operating mode, FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a sweeping machine.FIG. 1 shows a self-propelled sweeping machine having a chassis 1, drive wheels 2, a driver's seat 3 and a steering handle 4. The sweeping machine has a sweeping roller 7 which can be driven by a further motor 6 and a dirt collecting device 8 for collecting sweepings. Between the motor 6 and the sweeping roller 7 there is also arranged a change-over gear 9 for changing over the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller 7. In an exemplary embodiment not shown, the motor 6 could be controllable in both rotational directions and drive the sweeping roller 7 directly.Fixed guide elements 10 and an actuatable guide element 11 guide the sweeping material from the sweeping roller 7 into the dirt collecting device 8, and the dirt collecting device 8 also has a suction fan 12 with a filter device, not shown in detail. The sweeping machine can be operated by an operating console 13 with a changeover switch 14 for the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller 7 and a manually actuatable regulator 15 for the speed of rotation of the sweeping roller 7. The controllable guide element 11 is also controlled via the changeover switch 14. The changeover switch 14 and the regulator 15 are connected to a control device 16 for this purpose.In an operating mode illustrated in FIG. 1, the sweeping roller 7 is driven in the same direction as the direction of travel of the sweeping machine. The direction of travel of the sweeping machine and the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller 7 are marked with arrows. The sweeping material conveyed by the sweeping roller 7 is directed in a short path into the dirt collection device 8. The controllable guide element 11 is located in a lower position.FIG. 2 shows the self-propelled sweeping machine from FIG. 2 in a further operating mode in which the sweeping roller 7 is driven in the opposite direction to the direction of travel. The controllable guide element 11 is located in an upper position. The sweeping material is conducted in a dumping principle via the sweeping roller 7 into the dirt collection device 8.FIG. 3 shows a hand-guided sweeping machine with drive wheels 102 and with a link 104 for pushing. Furthermore, the hand-held sweeping machine has a sweeping roller 107 and a dirt collecting device 108. Guide elements 110 guide the sweeping material from the sweeping roller 107 into the dirt collection device 108. The sweeping roller 107 is coupled to one of the drive wheels 102 via a change-over transmission 109. A changeover switch 114 of the changeover gear 109 makes it possible to change over the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller 107.In an operating mode illustrated in FIG. 3, the change-over transmission 109 is connected to the drive wheel 102 via the change-over switch 114 in a drive of the sweeping roller 107 in the same direction. The sweeping material is thus guided in a short path into the dirt collection device 108.FIG. 4 shows the hand-guided sweeping machine from FIG. 3 in a further operating mode, in which the changeover switch 114 of the changeover gear 109 is reversed and the sweeping roller 107 is driven in the opposite direction to the drive direction of the sweeping machine. The sweeping material is conducted over a long distance into the dirt collection device 108 by the sweeping roller 107 according to the dumping principle.FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of a self-propelled sweeping machine, which differs from those of FIGS. 1 to 4 in that a dirt collecting device 208 is arranged in front of a sweeping roller 207 in the direction of travel. The sweeping machine, like the embodiment of FIG. 1, has a link 204. The sweeping roller 207 can be driven directly in both directions of rotation by a motor 206, for example a direct current motor. As a result, the sweeping roller 207 is selectively driven in the opposite direction to the drive direction or in the same direction in the drive direction of the sweeping machine. In the opposite driving direction, the sweeping material is guided in a short path into the dirt collection device 208, as is illustrated in the drawing with solid lines. Furthermore, a long path of the sweeping material beyond the sweeping roller 207 is shown in dashed lines along a fixed guide element 210 when the sweeping roller 207 is driven in the same direction.In embodiments not shown, the arrangement of the dirt collecting device 208 shown in FIG. 5 can be used in the direction of travel in front of the sweeping roller 207 in the embodiments according to FIGS. 1 to 4.References included in the specificationThis list of documents cited by the applicant has been produced in an automated manner and is only included for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent application or utility model application. The DPMA does not take any adhesion for any faults or omissions.Patent Literature citedWO 2022 / 048879, A1

[0002] DE 202 11 629 U1

[0003] DE 10 2014 102 812 A1

[0004]

Claims

Sweeping machine having a dirt collecting device (8, 108), having a sweeping roller (7, 107, 207), having a sweeping roller drive for driving the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207), and having guide elements (10, 11, 110, 210) for guiding the sweeping material from the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207) into the dirt collecting device (8, 108, 208), characterized in that the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207) can be switched over, and in that the guide elements (10, 11, 110, 210) are designed in both directions of rotation of the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207) for guiding the sweeping material into the dirt collecting device (8, 108, 208).Sweeping machine according to claim 1, characterised in that the directions of rotation of the sweeping roller (7, 107, 207) are configured selectively in opposite directions or in the same direction with respect to the direction of travel of the sweeping machine.Sweeping machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the sweeping roller drive has a switchable change-over gear (9, 109) for changing over the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller (7, 107).Sweeping machine according to at least one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sweeping roller drive is coupled to drive wheels (102).Sweeping machine according to at least one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sweeping roller drive has a motor (6, 206), and in that the motor (6, 206) can be actuated for driving in both rotational directions or is connected to the shiftable change-over transmission (9).Sweeping machine according to at least one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a control device (16) has a changeover switch (14) for the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller (7) which can be manually switched into two positions.Sweeping machine according to claim 6, characterised in that the control device (16) has a regulator (15) for the speed of the sweeping roller (7).Sweeping machine according to at least one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that a guide element (11) for guiding the sweeping material between the sweeping roller (7) and the dirt collecting device (8) can be controlled as a function of the direction of rotation of the sweeping roller (7).

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